Government: Chapter 5

15th Amendment

"Right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." (Created after the Civil War)

Describe the various protest movements that led to the expansion of suffrage over American history. What were the old conditions, and what led to changes in voting rules?

*Lifting of property restrictions - All states required voters to be property owners with varying standards for how much property a man had to own to meet the right to vote. By the end of Andrew Jackson's presidency, all states lifted property restrictions from their voting requirements. *Suffrage for black americans and former slaves - The 15th amendment made it unconstitutional to deny anyone the right to vote on account of race or color. Jim Crow Laws were also found unconstitutional. *Women's suffrage - Women were unable to vote. The 19th amendment gave women their right to vote. *18-21-year-olds - Expanded voting after the age requirement was brought down.

Universal Manhood Suffrage

A form of voting rights in which all adult males within a political system are allowed to vote, regardless of income, property, religion, race, or any other qualification. It is sometimes summarized by the slogan, "one man, one vote".

Voting Rights Act of 1965

A law passed at the time of the civil rights movement. It eliminated various devices, such as literacy tests, that had traditionally been used to restrict voting by black people.

Grandfather Clause

A provision in which an old rule continues to apply to some existing situations while a new rule will apply to all future cases.

Poll Taxes

A tax required as a qualification for voting. After the Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution extended the vote to blacks in 1870, many southern states instituted poll taxes to prevent blacks from voting.

Disenfranchised

Deprive someone of the right to vote.

Understand the factors that impact voter turnout in America, and how American voter turnout compares to voter turnout in other democracies.

Difficulty of absentee voting - some states require a voter to apply for a ballot in person. Number of offices to elect - Some argue that because Americans vote for so many officials on many different levels of government, they cannot keep up with all the campaigns and elections. Weekend, non-holiday voting - In many other democracies, voting takes place on the weekends. Others make it a holiday to vote. Some Americans find it hard to take days off to vote. Weak political parties - In many other countries, parties make great efforts to get people to the polls.

Political Participation

Encompasses the various activities that citizens employ in their efforts to influence policy making and the selection of leaders. Ex: Writing to their representative or senator, working for a candidate or political party, participating on national, state, and local levels. Other ways: *Watching campaign on TV *Voting *Trying to influence others how to vote *Putting a sticker on your car or wearing a button *Giving money to help a campaign *Attending a political meeting *Working for a party or candidate

Absentee Ballot

Even if citizens remember to register ahead of time, they can only vote in their own precincts. If a voter is out of town on election day, he or she has to vote by absentee ballot.

Jim Crow Laws

Examples include literacy tests, poll taxes, and that grandfather clause--that prevented many blacks from voting until well past the mid-20th century.

19th Amendment

Extended the vote to women in 1920. This amendment doubled the size of the electorate.

Cross-cutting cleavages

Factors such as age, social class, education level, race, gender, and party affiliation that produce an influence in politics.

26th Amendment

Final major expansion of voting rights, occurring in 1971. This amendment changed the minimum voting age from 21 to 18.

"Grass Roots"

Often at the local level, as many volunteers in the community give their time to support the local party, which can lead to helping the national party.

Help America Vote Act (HAVA)

Passed by Congress in 2002 to help improve state voting systems and voter access by helping states to create state-wide voter registration databases.

Early Voting

Permits people to vote before election day in person or by mail.

24th Amendment

Ratified in 1964, banned the use of poll taxes.

Literacy Test

Refers to state government practices of administering tests to prospective voters purportedly to test their literacy in order to vote.

Registered vs. Eligible Voters

Registered voters are those that actually vote in an election, while eligible voters are those who can vote. Both contribute to determining the voter turnout.

Suffrage

Suffrage of black Americans, former slaves, and women was more of an intimidation to keep them from voting.

Voter Registration

The requirement in some democracies for citizens and residents to check in with some central registry specifically for the purpose of being allowed to vote in elections.

Franchise

The right to vote.

Analyze the roles that demographic characteristics and state laws play in voter turnout in elections.

There are numerous ways of registering to vote, as well as voting if you are unavailable on voting day.

Same-day voter registration

Under this system, people may register and vote on the same day rather than register at least a month before the election. Concerns about this method center on the difficulty of properly verifying voter for on-the-spot voting.

Provisional Ballots

Used when it is not clear that a voter is officially registered. This system allows the voter to cast a ballot that will be counted after eligibility has been confirmed by an elections official. If the voter is not properly registered, the vote will not be counted.

Summarize the voting rights protections provided in the Constitution and in federal legislation.

Voting Rights Act of 1965, 15th amendment, 19th amendment, 24th amendment, 26th amendment.

Motor Voter Laws

Allows people to register to vote while applying for or renewing a driver's license. Requires states to provide assistance to facilitate voter registration.